This is Real
by EatSleepBreatheJonas
Summary: 5 friends; a beach house; and more memories than can ever be recalled. A Smitchie Story.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is Real**_

**So yeah, I know it's been awhile.**

**No, this is not the sequel to _This is Me._**

**Sorry; but as **Allume A Pense** could probably tell you,**

**that idea didn't work out so great. Coming to you with a new story,**

_**EatSleepBreatheJonas (goodness, I've missed typing that.)**_

The phone vibrated loudly against the bedside table, startling Mitchie from her dreams. She threw a hand out from under her body to grope for the phone. Her hand closed around the offending item and brought up to her eyes. "Holy snap." Mitchie breathed, flipping the phone open and shoving it against her ear. "Caitlyn?" She questioned, holding her breath and waiting for a reply.

The other girl's screams echoed in her ear, and Mitchie laughed, pulling the phone away from her ear. "Hey Mitchie." Caitlyn finally greeted, laughing at herself. "So where are you right now?" She added thoughtfully.

"In bed..." Mitchie said slowly, staring at her digital clock. "It's nearly 11 right now." She told her friend. Caitlyn 'ohhed' softly, glancing at her own wristwatch.

"Sorry about that. I got kinda sidetracked when I meant to call you earlier. But anyway," she barreled through the apology, continuing with the purpose for the late night call. "I bought a beach house." Caitlyn told Mitchie.

"Wow, congratulations!" Mitchie exclaimed, genuinely happy for her friend. "Where, California? Some beautiful Caribbean island?" She wondered. Caitlyn shook her head, wrinkling her nose in frustration when she realized her action had gone unseen.

"The Outer Banks, in North Carolina." She said proudly, looking again at the photo of her new property that rested in her lap. "And I wanted to know if you could come down for a couple of weeks." Caitlyn added.

"A couple of weeks? Sure, I don't see why not...anyone else coming?" Mitchie added as a side thought. Caitlyn winced. Her friend wasn't going to take this part so well. She sighed, not sure if she should admit to who the other guests would be, or if she should let it be a surprise.

"It's a surprise." She had chickened out, and she knew this wouldn't end well. "How soon can you get down here?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie paused, thinking to herself.

"Well, if I can get back to sleep, I can pack in the morning, and hit the road once I'm done packing." She thought aloud. Caitlyn squealed, dancing around the room excitedly.

"That's great; you'll get here before everyone else and get the grand tour." She exclaimed, her joy showing in her tone. Mitchie laughed, rolling over and closing her eyes to the darkness.

"Great; well I'm going back to bed. E-mail me directions and I'll see you sometime late tomorrow." Mitchie told her friend, and Caitlyn quickly said goodnight, allowing Mitchie to snap the phone shut and throw her head back onto the pillow. "Well this is going to be fun...I wonder who else she invited." Mitchie wondered as she succumbed to exhaustion.

* * *

The wind tossed her hair out of its restraint, throwing the sunglasses somewhere behind her. Mitchie laughed, shaking her head and letting her long hair do what it pleased. She checked the directions Caitlyn had sent her that morning, then glanced back to the road. She should be turning soon, she thought, scanning the hand-printed street signs. "These houses are amazing..." She murmured, her eyes drifting over the architectural wonders. "Found it!" She cheered, turning onto the broken concrete road, her car bouncing slightly. The chunks of concrete fell away to white sand, and Mitchie slowed down, now glancing over house numbers.

"Maybe I didn't find it..." She muttered after ten minutes. Then, the house loomed up in front of her. It was at least four stories high, and painted a dark blueish gray. It was gorgeous. Mitchie slammed on the brakes, staring at it. The screen door flew open two stories above, and Caitlyn came dashing down the stairs and across the sand. "Oh my God." Mitchie breathed, staring at the house. She jumped over the side of her car, rushing to hug her friend. "I love your house." She told Caitlyn, pulling back to stare up at it. The other girl laughed and smiled softly, running back to the stairs. Mitchie grabbed her large suitcase, attempting to follow her friend.

"Just leave it, the guys will bring it up." Caitlyn yelled. Mitchie stopped in her tracks, staring after her friend. Caitlyn froze. She had said too much, and she knew it. Mitchie let the handle of her suitcase fall to the sand, her brow furrowed.

"Guys?" She inquired calmly, staring at Caitlyn's back. Her friend nodded, turning slowly with a false smile across her face. "What guys?" Mitchie asked, putting her hands on her hips. Caitlyn blinked.

"Just some guys from my college." Caitlyn shrugged, playing it off very casually. Mitchie relaxed, hoisting her suitcase back into the car and practically dancing after her friend up the stairs and into the house. "Grand tour time!" Caitlyn squealed, twirling around with her palms up. Mitchie laughed, letting her lead the way.

* * *

Dusk had fallen, and Caitlyn and Mitchie sat on the couch 4 stories above the beach, cross-legged and swapping stories from college. A car's headlights flashed up through the dim room, and Caitlyn shot up. "That's them. I gotta go do something; will you let them in?" She asked. Mitchie shrugged and propelled herself off the couch, heading for the spiral stairs that cut through the center of the house. Bouncing down the last few, she froze.

Mitchie stared at the screen door, and the boy—man, she corrected her thoughts, stared back. "Caitlyn!" Mitchie screamed, turning on her heel and running back up the stairs. Caitlyn poked her head out of one of the bedrooms, laughing nervously. "Shane? You know we broke up years ago; why is he standing outside?" Mitchie demanded.

Caitlyn balked. "You didn't let him inside?" She questioned, shoving past her friend and skipping down the steps and flinging the screen door open. Shane, Nate and Jason tumbled through the doorway, loaded down with their own luggage and Mitchie's. "Hey guys, sorry Mitchie didn't let you in, she was a bit stunned." Shane rolled his eyes at the girl.

"So was I, I mean, I didn't exactly expect to see my ex-fiancé standing on the other side of the door." He commented sarcastically, running a hand through his hair. "You didn't tell us she'd be here." Shane grumbled.

Caitlyn shrugged. "You didn't ask." She grinned a bit smugly, dancing back to the kitchen a floor above. Nate turned to his friend, grinning.

"She has a point. Besides, don't act like you're not excited to see her." He teased, glancing towards the hall mirror to adjust his wind-swept hair. Jason nodded, flipping his hair to the side.

"You're not fooling anyone with that 'why is she here, I hate my life' attitude." Jason stated wisely, clapping Shane on the shoulder. Shane shrugged the hand off of him, staring up the stairs to where he knew Mitchie lurked.

"I'm gonna go for a walk on the beach." He decided, climbing the steps to follow Caitlyn and get room assignments. After being pointed to the fourth floor, he stepped through the door, glancing around. The room was painted sea foam green, and all the bedding was in white. A few shells decorated the bookcase, while a colored sketch of Cape Hatteras hung on the wall. There was a balcony, he noted with a smile. He stepped through the sliding glass doors, only to run into Mitchie. Her room and his must share a balcony, he thought grimly.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, not meeting his eyes and turning away. Shane reached out and caught her hand, drawing her back to him. "Shane, I..." She tugged at her hand, looking up into his startling dark eyes.

"Why are you acting like you're not ecstatic to see me?" He breathed, watching her carefully. Mitchie laughed gently, removing her hand from his grip and stepping back a few inches. "Because I'm happy to see you." He added lowly, his eyes growing darker. Mitchie blushed under the dark lighting.

"I don't know what Caitlyn's plan is, but I know I am kind of happy to see you. It's just...it's weird to be here, with you." Mitchie whispered, turning on her heel and heading back for her own room. Shane sighed.

"I'm going for a walk on the beach. Do you want to come with me?" He offered. Mitchie hesitated; smiling slightly. She shook her head, tilting it towards the still visible clouds that came rolling in slowly.

"It looks like rain. I'll take my chances on the 3rd floor hot tub." She laughed, stepping back through her own glass doors. Shane laughed in agreement, gazing out at the sky.

"Maybe I'll join you later." He said casually, entering his own room to change. Mitchie watched him disappear, a small smile playing on her mouth. Maybe this wouldn't be as awkward as she thought.

* * *

Caitlyn poked her head out onto the porch, holding up two wine glasses. "An apology of sorts?" She proposed, smiling at Mitchie, who had her head tipped back against the rim of the hot tub. She glanced up, nodding at Caitlyn, who quickly slid out of her her denim shorts and into the hot water.

Carefully, Caitlyn filled the glasses and passed one to Mitchie as the rain began to fall slowly. "I really am sorry for not telling you about Shane. You're not going to leave, are you?" She whispered, and Mitchie hesitated.

"I don't think I'll leave. It's just really awkward; being around him for the first time in 2 years." She admitted, and Caitlyn nodded sympathetically. "It was so bad, seeing him on the other side of that door. I wanted to die." Mitchie added.

"Why did you guys break up? You always seemed like you were so happy together." Caitlyn questioned, sipping from her glass quietly. Mitchie shrugged, staring out at where the rain met the ocean. "What does that shrug mean? You have to know why you broke up with him." She pointed out with a small smile.

"I honestly don't know. We got into a fight over something; a huge fight. All my 'friends' were encouraging me to dump him; that he wasn't worth my tears or something. I listened, they called him back and ended it. I still don't know why I listened to those girls." Mitchie sighed, her eyes still on the water. Caitlyn blinked.

"That's why you two aren't married now with lots of babies?" She asked incredulously. Mitchie laughed, taking a long drag from the glass. Caitlyn looked at her nervously; Mitchie hardly ever drank, and never that enthusiastically.

"I don't know about the babies part, but being married, yes, that's why." Mitchie sighed, finishing the wine in her glass. Caitlyn looked up, seeing Shane approach. She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should warn her friend.

"Shane's coming. I'm gonna go inside." Caitlyn whispered, pulling herself out of the hot tub. "Hey Shane, keep Mitchie company. I'm gonna go take a shower." She called, leaving her glass on the edge of the table for Shane. He stared at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Because I really needed to know that." Shane teased, peeling his damp shirt off and shedding his jeans. Mitchie blinked, trying not to stare at his stomach. He hoisted himself into the hot water, smiling at Mitchie. "Told you I'd be joining you later." He added casually. Mitchie nodded dumbly, reaching across him for the bottle of wine.

Shane picked up Caitlyn's glass and took the bottle from Mitchie, quickly refilling her glass before adding a little to his own. "Cheers." He tapped his glass to hers, taking a small sip from the opposite side of the lip gloss stain, Mitchie noted. She smiled weakly, not saying anything. She felt horribly awkward. "So I heard you and Caitlyn talking. Is it true that you really broke up with me because your so-called friends told you to?" His tone was still light and friendly, though his eyes betrayed his pain.

Mitchie winced, and took a deep breath. "I...I broke up with you because I was scared after that fight. I told my friends I was scared, and they told me that I didn't need to be with someone who scared me. Sarah dialed and handed me the phone, and I just broke up with you. I cried for months." Mitchie said softly. Shane stared at her.

"Why didn't you call me again? You know I would have forgiven you. I would have taken you back." He murmured, scooting slightly closer to her, letting one arm drape over her shoulders. She rested her head against his forearm, closing her eyes.

"I was too scared to face you. That's why I avoided your e-mails, calls and texts." Mitchie told him. Shane sighed, glancing down at her. His eyes traced over her body, smiling to himself at her choice of a simple black one-piece.

"You do realize that we could be married right now, and the only reason we're not is because that Sarah girl dialed the phone?" Shane asked, and Mitchie nodded, one tear falling. "Oh, Mitchie, don't cry." Shane whispered, brushing away the tear with the pad of his thumb. She shook her head, staring out at the ocean.

"I hate her now. I miss being with you; but I don't know you, not this new you. We've both changed in two years and we can't just expect to jump back to what we used to have." Mitchie breathed as Shane hovered over her. He brushed her cheek with his lips gently.

"You didn't say we couldn't try to get back to what we were." Shane mumbled, sitting back against the wall of the hot tub. Mitchie paused, replaying her words in her mind. Finally, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"You're right." She admitted, pushing herself out of the hot tub and wrapping a towel around her torso. She piled her hair on top of her head, running a smaller towel down her legs and over her arms. Shane climbed out, drying off as well. He held out his hand to her, smiling.

"I'll walk you to your room." He offered, and she laughed softly, continuing to run the towel over her body. Her eyes cut up to meet his, and the rain increased. A crash of thunder made her jump, and they both laughed at her shock.

"You don't have to, it's only one floor up." She reminded him, placing her hand in his. Shane shrugged, opening the sliding glass door to the commons room. Mitchie stepped through, her body tensing at the frigid burst of air conditioning. Shane laughed, hurrying to the spiral stair case.

"But your room is right next to mine; so I'm going that way anyway. We're the only two rooms up there; sneaky of Caitlyn, no?" Shane teased, and Mitchie blushed, careful not to trip over the stairs. Shane rounded the last curve, his hand still holding hers tightly. They walked down the hall, and paused at Mitchie's door. She started to pull away, but Shane pulled her back, pressing their cold bodies together. "I'm glad you're here." He mumbled, wrapping one of her wet curls around his finger. She blushed, nodding slowly.

"I'm glad you're here too." She rose on tiptoe, pressing her lips to his cheek and dropping back to her regular footing. "Good night Shane." Mitchie whispered, untangling their bodies and stepping through her door. She shut it softly, backing up against the wall and sighing in contentment. No, she was definitely not leaving. She turned towards the balcony, just in time to see Shane tap on her door. Confused, she crossed the room to open the door carefully. "Did you forget something?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yes." Shane stated simply, cupping her face and pressing his mouth to hers gently. Mitchie froze, her eyes growing wide before fluttering shut, just in time to enjoy a brief moment of the kiss. Shane pulled away, smiling awkwardly. "Now I can go to bed." He whispered, running a hand through his hair. He backed away into his own room, and Mitchie stood there, her fingers ghosting over her lips.

"Oh wow." She breathed, falling back on the bed and hugging a pillow to her chest. "Oh wow." She repeated, staring at the ceiling with a look of total bliss in her eyes and smile. "There's no way I'm going home now." Mitchie breathed, smiling widely.

**Thoughts? I'm not totally sure where**

**I'm going with this, but hopefully**

**you guys will respond to it**

**as well as you did with**

_This is Me._

**Review!**


	2. Oh What A Night!

_**This is Real**_

**So; 21 reviews for the first chapter! That's amazing!**

**It looks like you guys are liking this as much **

**as I 'm enjoying writing it.**

**So, Chapter 2. **

_**EatSleepBreatheJonas**_

A soft sea breeze blew through Mitchie's open doors. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. Sitting up, she stretched her arms out, yawning. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and slid out of bed. Pulling her hair up into a high messy ponytail, she left the room for the bathroom and her toothbrush. The door opened, and she crashed into Shane. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, backing away. Shane laughed and let his hand rest on her upper arm.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Shane told her, letting her pass into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth eagerly and left for the kitchen one floor below. Caitlyn smiled at her friend, who dropped into a chair at the table. Shane had followed Mitchie and sat down beside her. Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at Shane, grinning. He shrugged, a noncommittal smile playing on his lips. She rolled her eyes and rose, returning to the counter to retrieve a pitcher of orange juice and a precariously balanced stack of pancakes.

"Eat quickly, we're going for a walk on the beach." Caitlyn announced, placing herself in front of the stove, flipping more pancakes off onto a second plate.

* * *

Mitchie laughed as her hair blew around her face. Helplessly, she turned to Shane, attempting to hold all of her hair in place. He laughed as well, handing her the red baseball hat he wore. She took it gratefully, sparing a glance at the embroidered logo on the front. "The Philadelphia Phillies?" She asked teasingly, curling all her hair on top of her head and jamming the hat down over it.

Shane shrugged, scuffing his bare feet in the sand. "You got me hooked all those years ago." He admitted, and she laughed, adjusting the hat so it was slightly angled on her head. Shane laughed, taking a step closer to her. "It looks really good on you." He mumbled.

Mitchie blushed faintly, continuing to walk. "Thanks." She muttered, letting her feet guide her down to the water's edge. The waves lapped at her feet and Shane followed, his hand brushing hers temptingly. "Shane..." She whispered, not meeting his eyes. His hand bumped hers again.

"I thought we were going to try again." He reminded her. Mitchie sighed, her eyes on the waves crashing over her toes. She took a few steps back onto the drier sand and sat down. Shane sat beside her, his hands on his knees. Mitchie wrapped her arms around her legs, drawing them up to her chest. "I want to try again." Shane told her plainly, turning his head so he faced her.

Mitchie bit her lip. "I just don't know Shane. We broke up for a reason, didn't we?" Shane groaned, letting his hand search for hers. She pulled away. He sighed, staring out at the water. She did the same, her heart pounding.

"We broke up because your stupid 'friend' pushed you into it. You even said last night that you didn't know why we broke up. What's stopping us?" Shane challenged. Mitchie frowned, thinking for a moment. She knew exactly what was stopping them, but she couldn't find the words to express it.

"There's the fact that I'm still scared." Mitchie finally stated. Shane's face dropped and he stared at her, hurt glistening in his eyes. She didn't look at him, but instead dug her feet deeper into the wet sand. Her hands rested limply in her lap.

"You're scared of me?" He questioned, and she shook her head fervently. That wasn't what she had meant at all. Shane sighed in relief, letting the momentarily forgotten oxygen fill his body. He reached out for her hand yet again. She didn't pull away. "Then what are you afraid of?" He murmured, tilting her chin up so he could see her eyes from under the baseball cap.

"I'm afraid to fall in love with you again." Mitchie sighed, her eyes wide and her chest rising and falling with her rapid breathing. Shane stared at her wordlessly, before closing the gap between them to fold his arms around her. He head tucked into his neck and he inhaled the scent of her pear blossom shampoo. "I don't want to get hurt anymore." She whispered, and unseen tears glistened in her amber eyes.

Shane held her tightly, feeling her heart beat in time with his own. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore either." He told her. "Let's go back to the house." He stood up, bringing her with him. Slowly, they walked along the water's line. Mitchie's head was resting idly on Shane's shoulder, while their hands still tightly grasped.

* * *

Everyone sat at various places in the living room, Caitlyn and Mitchie talking animatedly about the college lives they had just graduated from, while the boys listened and added their own opinions from time to time. Mitchie sat beside Shane, resting against him. His arm was wrapped around her waist, drawing her as close as possible without looking indecent. Nate and Jason sat on the second couch, with Caitlyn laying across them, her head in Jason's lap.

Nate threw her a glance. "Why are you in Jason's lap? Why do I get your feet?" He questioned. Shane laughed under his breath, knowing that his friend still harbored feelings for the curly haired girl. Caitlyn looked up at him, while Jason stifled his own laughter.

"Why do you ask? Jealous?" She teased, her eyes sparkling. Nate shook his head, slumping back into the couch. Silent for a moment, he grabbed one of Caitlyn's feet and began to run his finger up and down the bottom of her foot. She shrieked, writhing with laughter. "Stop!" She screamed, tears pouring as she laughed hysterically. "My feet are ticklish!" Caitlyn clutched the couch underneath her, screaming and writhing with peals of laughter. Nate laughed and continued to tickle her mercilessly. Jason was laughing too, his hands holding Caitlyn down gently.

Mitchie and Shane laughed quietly, watching. Finally, Nate stopped, pulling back. Caitlyn glared at him playfully. "Aww, don't look at me like that. You know you still love me." He teased. She sat up, crossing her arms and continuing to glare at him. "Fine, I'm sorry." He finally apologized. Caitlyn's face brightened and she tackled him, kissing his cheek overly dramatically.

"Nate actually apologized! Call the media!" She announced sarcastically, earning another laugh from everyone, including Nate. Shane kissed the top of Mitchie's head, gaining her attention. He rose, taking her hand and leading her out onto their shared balcony.

"Do you wanna go do something?" He asked once they were outside. She looked confused; he could have asked this inside, she thought. "I wanted to get you alone." He added, as though he could see what she was thinking.

"Oh. Sure, I guess so. What did you have in mind?" She asked, and Shane grinned. He had obviously planned this out. He walked around to the other side of the balcony, where a staircase leading down to the cars was located. It was incredibly steep, and Mitchie felt faint. "We're not going down that, are we?" Her voice showed her stress, and Shane noticed it.

"No, not right now. But later tonight, if you should hear me knock on your door, it means we're sneaking out, and then we will go down that one." He told her, grinning. She nodded, swallowing nervously. "But now, we'll tell Caitlyn we're ditching them. I don't think she's going to mind." Mitchie laughed and nodded in agreement.

"So what are we doing now?" Mitchie asked, bringing Shane's eyes back to hers. He shrugged, taking a step closer. Her heart rate increased, and she smiled faintly. All these years, and he still made her feel like she had never felt before. "I hear the golf is pretty amazing here. And I happen to be pretty amazing at mini-golf." She teased, and Shane's eyes lit up.

"We are so there." He stepped back through the glass doors and grasped her hand tightly in his own. Caitlyn looked up as they padded down the steps lightly. "We're going to go into town, I think." Shane told Caitlyn, his arm around Mitchie's waist. The curly-haired girl nodded, grinning at Nate and Jason.

"The house is ours!" She cheered, and Jason punched the air in triumph. "Get out!" She shooed Shane and Mitchie down the stairs, laughing jubilantly. Still pushing, she opened Mitchie's car door and sat her down. Shane backed away, hands raised in defense.

"I can get into the car by myself." He stated, walking around the car and climbing in. Caitlyn laughed and returned to the house. Mitchie and Shane watched her turn back to face them. Her hand raised to shield her eyes from the late afternoon sun, and she laughed before speaking.

"I want both of you back by 9. No sex." She called, and both blushed deeply. Mitchie silently pulled out of the long driveway, gravel and sand crunching under her tires. Shane awkwardly flipping through her CD collection.

"So where to?" Mitchie finally asked, pulling up to the intersection that would take them into town. Shane looked up from the numerous CDs on his lap. He shrugged, his eyes scanning down either side of the road across from them. "I think we should drive until we find something amazing." Mitchie decided, spinning the wheel to the left.

Shane smiled softly, watching her hair blow in the sea breeze. "I've already found something amazing." He whispered, reaching over and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She hadn't heard him, and turned, smiling appreciatively at the gesture.

"Did you say something?" Mitchie asked. Shane shook his head. She shrugged and turned back to the road. Twenty minutes later, Shane turned to face her again, a question in his eyes.

"Do you want to skip golf and just get something to eat? It's almost 5." Shane asked, and Mitchie nodded eagerly. Her eyes scanned the road for potential dining spots. Shane sat back in his seat, smiling gleefully.

Mitchie blew her side bangs out of her eyes, and tilted her head to the side. "So is this like a date?" She teased. Shane paused, looking at her carefully, weighing her words. Mitchie turned to look at him once she reached a red light.

"Do you want it to be a date?" He asked and she hesitated, unsure of where she stood. She hadn't expected him to answer her question with a second question. Slowly, she nodded, looking down. Shane was honestly surprised. He had assumed that she wasn't quite as serious about trying again.

"Do you want it to be a date? Because if you don't, that's cool." Mitchie told him. Shane laughed and laced their hands together, cautiously raising her hand to his mouth, brushing her fingers with his mouth lightly. Mitchie sighed inwardly; this felt so right.

"Nothing could make me more happy than going on a date with you." Shane stated, his tone deeply serious. Mitchie smiled, her eyes sparkling as she drove with one hand, the other still tangled with Shane's.

* * *

Shane opened the beach house door, letting Mitchie pass through before him. She smiled, dazzling him and bounced up the steps to the living room. Shane watched her, rooted at the beginning of the spiral stairs. Mitchie turned, smiling still. "Are you gonna get up here, or just stand there staring?" She teased, and Shane jumped, startled from his day dream.

"Yeah." He muttered, climbing the stairs slowly. Mitchie raised one eyebrow, amused at his lack of protest. She walked down the hallway and into her room. She turned, bracing her palms against the frame of the door, bouncing on her heels slightly. She looked up at him expectantly. "I'll be by your room after Caitlyn makes sure we're home." He told her, stepping into his own room. She looked down, smiling.

"Okay." She whispered, feeling the heat creep up her face. Luckily, Shane was already in his own room and didn't notice her flushed expression. Mitchie turned back to her bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling fan. She didn't notice Jason open the door and enter her room.

He sat down carefully on her bed, watching her. "You know, it always spins the same way." He stated, and Mitchie jumped, startled by his presence. He laughed softly, his own eyes on the fan. "Yup. It always spins the same way. Shane finally told me that a couple of years ago." Jason informed her wisely. Mitchie nodded, curling her legs up to her chest.

Caitlyn tapped on the door, poking her head in. "Oh good, you're home. Jason, Nate needs you for some song thing." She told her friend, and Jason scampered out of the room. Caitlyn turned back to Mitchie, smiling. "I would stay up and squeal about your date with Shane, but Nate wanted me to stop by to hear the song." Mitchie nodded knowingly, grinning.

"Go Cat. You know you wanna." She teased, and Caitlyn rolled her body off the bed, tossing her hair. Mitchie laughed, settling back into her pillows. "Don't give me that look. You know you're just dying to get down there and listen to that boy's voice." Mitchie stated, grinning broadly.

Caitlyn shrugged, darting through the bedroom door and down the stairs to where Nate waited. Mitchie stole a glance at the digital clock that sat on her bed-side table. It was nearly 11; Shane had said he'd be by after Caitlyn's room check. She picked up a book she had been meaning to read and settled in, waiting for Shane.

She had just opened the book when his voice startled her. "Don't even bother starting to read." She jumped, the book falling from her hands. Mitchie stared at him, fear evident in her eyes. She pressed a palm to her chest, trying to slow her breathing.

"You scared me." She breathed, flipping her side-bangs out of her face. Shane chuckled, leaning against the glass door he had entered through. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched her, a smile gracing his features. Mitchie pushed herself off the bed and walked over to where he stood. "So what's the plan?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Shane grinned, tossing his head to the side to clear his vision. "I was hoping you'd ask." Five minutes later, he and Mitchie crept carefully down the back staircase, laughing to themselves. Mitchie shivered, pulling her jacket on over her swimsuit top. Shane stepped down onto the cool sand, offering his hand to Mitchie who took it gratefully.

"What are we doing?" She whispered as Shane led her over the sand dunes and down close to the water. He shook his head, grinning at her. "Shane, I don't like surprises." Mitchie hissed, following him through the cold soft sand. He rolled his eyes and stopped suddenly, causing her to bump into him.

"Hey." He whispered, looking down into her eyes. She blinked up at him, very confused. He pressed his lips to her forehead and pulled away, grinning. "Patience is a virtue." He told her, and she groaned, though her eyes lit up when he dropped the bag he carried and unrolled a large blanket. "We're here." Shane announced, dropping onto the blanket. Mitchie dropped beside him, snuggling up against his side.

Shane wrapped an arm around her, sighing. She looked up at him carefully. "Are you okay?" She whispered, cupping one side of his face to bring his attention down to her. He nodded a bit unconvincingly. "Shane," she sighed, "I know you better than that. Something is wrong." Shane nodded reluctantly. "Tell me."

"I want to be with you. I want to be with you like we used to be. I want to kiss you, I want to touch, feel, taste you. I want all of you. I can't, because I know we'd be moving too quickly. But that doesn't stop how I feel." Shane admitted, and Mitchie stared at him, biting her lip in thought. Before Shane could speak again, she had kissed him, her hands tangled at his neck. He pulled away after a moment, shaking his head. "I know you don't want to be like this." He whispered, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Mitchie looked down, sighing.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, not meeting his eyes. Shane laughed softly, hooking an arm behind her knees and pulling her down to lay beside him. She turned so they were chest to chest, and Shane felt his breath hitch in his throat. She was laying there in a bikini top and a jacket, pressed against him, and she had no idea what she was doing to him.

"What are you sorry for?" Shane murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head. Mitchie tucked her head into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. "You don't have to be sorry for anything." He told her, hands running up and down her back. Mitchie tensed, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"It's not your fault." Mitchie sighed, tilting her head up to look into his eyes. "I want us to be that close too; I want us to be like that now. I know we can't though; because we'd be moving too fast; we've both changed so much..." She trailed off, snuggling back against him. "You're so warm." She breathed, blushing and feeling his body radiate heat. Shane tightened his arms around her for a moment, before he stood up.

"Let's dance." He stated, taking Mitchie's hands and pulling her to her feet. She blinked at him in confusion, her head tilted to the side and her eyes wide. Shane laughed, dropping her hands. She glanced around, unsure if he was serious.

"There's no music." Mitchie stated, and Shane held up one hand, turning to rummage through the bag he had brought with them. He pulled out a wireless iHome and smiled in triumph. Mitchie smiled teasingly, stepping closer. "And just when I thought you were going to do something romantic and sing to me." She sighed, and Shane rolled his eyes.

"That would be very cliché, and Shane Grey doesn't do cliché." With that, he plugged in his iPod and scrolled through songs, finally selecting one. Mitchie paused, listening for a moment before she found herself in Shane's arms, acoustic guitar filling the night.

_Well uh you dawned on me and you bet I felt it  
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted  
I fell right through the cracks  
And now I'm trying to get back_

_Before the cool done run out  
I'll be giving it my bestest  
Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention  
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some_

_But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait, I'm yours_

Mitchie looked up, her eyes sparkling. "I officially love this song." She breathed, and Shane nodded, breathing in her pear scented shampoo with satisfaction. Mitchie laughed as Shane spun her, pulling her closer than before.

_Well open up your mind and see like me  
Open up your plans and damn you're free  
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love_

_Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing  
Were just one big family  
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love love_

_So I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait I'm sure  
There's no need to complicate  
Our time is short  
This is our fate, I'm yours _

"Would you be horribly upset with me if I kissed you?" Shane asked, his voice husky. Mitchie hesitated, unsure of her thoughts on that matter. She knew perfectly well she would like nothing more than to feel his mouth moving with hers, but she also knew it might not be the best decision she had made in a while.

_Do you want to come on, and scoot  
On closer dear, and I will nibble your ear_

_oh oh oh_

_I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror  
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer  
But my breath fogged up the glass  
And so I drew a new face and laughed_

_I guess what I'll be saying is there ain't no better reason  
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons  
It's what we aim to do  
Our name is our virtue _

Mitchie didn't answer, merely squeezed his hand and kept her body swaying to the music. Shane took her silence as a no, and moved his hands down her waist to grasp her hips. "You never used to ask me for my permission." She realized, and Shane laughed softly, the sound making her heart race and her stomach tighten with an emotion she didn't recognize.

_But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait I'm sure  
There's no need to complicate  
Our time is short  
It can not wait, I'm yours_

_Well open up your mind and see like me  
Open up your plans and damn you're free  
Look into your heart and you'll find the sky is yours  
So please don't, please don't, please don't  
There's no need to complicate  
Cause our time is short  
This is, this is, this is our fate, I'm yours_

She looked up at him, her eyes alight with something Shane didn't recognize. "I didn't say you couldn't kiss me. After all, I'm yours." She whispered, before Shane's mouth crushed down on hers. Carefully, he maneuvered their bodies back to the blanket and laid her down gently on the flannel covering the sand. His hand curled at her hip, drawing her closer.

"You have no idea how happy you make me." He gasped, tearing his mouth from hers regretfully. Mitchie smiled, feeling her swollen lips carefully. She fixed her hair, pulling it up into a high ponytail and reached up to ruffle his hair.

"I think I might have some idea." She whispered, beaming happily. Shane laughed, sitting back on his heels. Mitchie sat up, adjusting her jacket and glancing at her cellphone. "I think we need to get back to the house," she sighed. Shane frowned but stood up, giving her his hand. Mitchie rose as well, bending back down to shake the sand out of the blanket and fold it quickly. Shane repacked his bag and they set off over the dunes.

They crept up the stairs carefully, trying not to wake Caitlyn or the others. Shane stopped at Mitchie's door, backing her up against the glass door, a hand on either side of her head. Dipping his head down, he kissed her softly. Mitchie felt her knees begin to give out; she reached up and clutched his shoulders, gasping against his mouth. Hesitantly, Shane opened her door and led her in. She backed up and sat down on the bed, her head falling back onto the pillow.

She was asleep and Shane bent over to brush his lips against hers. "Sleep well Mitchie." He breathed, tucking her legs under the blankets and kissing her again. She didn't move from her sleep.

"_Oh, what a night,  
Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me.  
She was everything I dreamed she'd be.  
Sweet surrender, what a night!_

_I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder  
Spinnin' my head around and taking my body under.  
Oh, what a night..." _

Shane sang to himself quietly, backing out of her room and onto the balcony. Sighing, he dropped onto a lounge chair and stared out at the ocean, the waves lulling him to sleep.

**So I'm ridiculously sorry for the long wait.**

I'm Yours- Jason Mraz.

Oh What A Night- Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

**Review!**


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